Part 3/8:
It wasn’t long before Thomas’s raw baseball talent caught the attention of Hal Baird, Auburn's baseball coach, who invited him to join the baseball team. This led to a pivotal summer in 1988 spent in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where his performance began to attract the eyes of MLB scouts, particularly those from the Chicago White Sox, who picked him in the first round of the draft the following year.
His early career was a mix of promise and frustration. In spring training, Thomas demonstrated impressive skills, boasting a .400 batting average with two home runs, yet he began the 1990 season in the minors. However, mid-season injuries and poor performance from the existing first basemen paved the way for his debut in the majors.